


Siberian Breaks

by Ladyfiaran



Category: MGMT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:13:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22130035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyfiaran/pseuds/Ladyfiaran
Summary: Andrew and Ben go to Finland to surprise a fan and find more than what they bargained for when they have to go on a fantastic quest.
Relationships: Andrew VanWyngarden/Ben Goldwasser, Andrew Vanwyngarden/Ben Goldwasser/OFC
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

"This is the weirdest request we've had so far", said Andrew, shaking his head.

"What, someone wants to use our song in a porno?", teased Ben as he looked at the screen of the Mac.

"No, check it out", said Andrew as he gestured at the screen. 

"Hmm, the email domain is from Finland", said Ben as he clicked on it.

"This girl wants to use our remix of Siberian Breaks for her figure skating routine. She just wants permission to use it for actual competition", said Andrew.

"Okay, I've never heard that kind of request before", said Ben dubiously.

"And here's a link", said Andrew as he clicked on the YouTube link. A video which looked as though it was shot on a phone started playing, set in an empty rink. A young woman in pink skating tights and a matching sweater skated to the center of the ice as the PA played their remix of Siberian Breaks by MGMT. The girl appeared to be very petite and slim with coppery-red gold hair in a neat bun, the tights accentuating her shapely strong legs. The two watched as the girl did a series of graceful leaps and turns in time to the music, the leaps coming in perfect time with the rhythm. 

"Wow!", exclaimed Andrew.

"Ditto. She can definitely use our music", agreed Ben.

"She's hot too", said Andrew.

"Dude, Scandinavian girls are nice, period", teased Ben.

"I know", Andrew laughed.

An idea suddenly came to Ben. "Her name is Valeria Jarvinen, let me look her up", he said as he unlocked his phone.

"She's a Finnish figure skater from some town called Kettalumi, no idea where that is. She's won some medals in competition but not the Olympics", he said, looking at her Wikipedia page.

"And we have nothing scheduled for a while, no commissions since summer's nearly over and it's the end of the party season", said Andrew.

Both men grinned at the same time. Andrew logged into Expedia and checked out the flights to Finland. "There's one flight leaving tomorrow from JFK", said Andrew. Ben nodded and Andrew booked the flight. "Finnair to Helsinki. And this Kettalumi place is in the middle of fucking nowhere up north, oh well. At least we get to have a mini-vacation in Finland", he said.

"Maybe she's the one we're looking for, dude", said Andrew with a grin.

"Maybe, I got a good feeling about this", replied Ben.

Andrew put an arm around his shoulder and kissed his boyfriend's cheek. "Yeah, wouldn't that be crazy to find our girlfriend in Finland. It would be great to find a girl to be our actual girlfriend instead of some groupie fuck", he said.

"Yeah, bro. I just hope our fans don't freak out", Ben fretted.

"Have you read some of the fan fics about us, dude? Our fans actually like that", Andrew teased.

"If you say so, bro. Let's rest up, unless you want to do something else", teased Ben. 

"Not tonight, some other time", laughed Andrew as he logged off Expedia and turned off the Mac. Their Brooklyn apartment building was quiet since it was a Monday night and most people wouldn't be out partying, the street quiet and empty except for a few people entering the neighborhood bodega. Ben found a black duffel bag in their closet and packed several pairs of jeans, t-shirts, underwear and socks, along with their phone chargers and a little bag of toiletries. 

Both men stripped down to their underwear and got in bed. "Not tonight, dude", Andrew chuckled as Ben snuggled against him.

"Why not? You always sleep good afterwards", Ben teased.

"Save that for later, bro. Good night", said Andrew as they kissed good night.


	2. Chapter 2

Andrew did a final check of their bags and made sure each had their passports and the flight information on his form before he ordered an Uber. A plain black Toyota sedan waited outside as they got in the car, the driver with his phone hooked up to the GPS while the radio played a Daddy Yankee song. "JFK?", he asked.

"Yeah, the International departures terminal", said Andrew.

The driver nodded as he backed away from the building. The drive east towards JFK was quiet since it was an hour before rush hour would begin in the city, much of the traffic that would have been heading to Manhattan or New Jersey at medium heaviness. They arrived at the International terminal and got their bags from the trunk as they went inside. Ben checked them in at the booth and the machine printed their tickets and the tag for their bags. 

From the plate glass windows of the gate area they could see different planes being loaded and unloaded, recognizing Lufthansa and British Airways. Nearby a Finnair jet in their blue and white livery of the Finnish flag was being loaded with bags. The waiting area was half-full since it was quite early and nearly September, most people having already gone on vacation. The people seated near the Finnair desk wore heavy coats and even furry hats, as though they were headed to Siberia. Ben and Andrew exchanged a glance and wondered if their jackets and t-shirts were going to be enough.

"Finnair Flight #74 now boarding, business class passengers please get in line", said the lady at the desk, repeating it in Finnish and Swedish.

The men got in line, looking out of place in their jeans and t-shirts. But the other passengers barely glanced at them as they showed their boarding passes and passports. They found their seat in business class as the other passengers started boarding. "Welcome aboard Finnair Flight #74 to Helsinki-Vantaa airport. We will arrive at approximately 10 P.M. local time. Please fasten your seatbelts and watch the in-flight safety video", said the pilot.

The last of the passengers had boarded and fastened their seatbelts as the video played on the little screens in front of them. Once the video ended the plane taxied over to the runway and then started to accelerate once they got the signal from air traffic control. Once they were airborne, Ben suddenly got droopy and closed his eyes as he leaned against Andrew's shoulder. Andrew kissed his cheek and made sure his boyfriend was comfortable before turning on the screen and putting on headphones.

Soon the plane was flying over the Atlantic and Andrew was watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on the screen. Outside the window he could see the ocean below and blue sky around them, the eerie sensation that something momentous was about to happen in his mind. "Where are we?", Ben mumbled several hours later.

Andrew paused the movie and checked the flight information on the screen. "We're approaching Norway, we should land in about an hour and a half", he replied.

Ben nodded and adjusted his glasses which had fallen down his nose. "Did the flight attendant come by yet?", he asked.

"They're taking orders now", said Andrew as the flight attendant was two rows ahead of them.

"We have chicken piccata, chicken Caesar salad or vegetarian lasagna. And what would you like to drink?", asked the flight attendant.

"Two veggie lasagnas and two glasses of red wine", replied Andrew.

"Always order the veggie thing, they never run out", said Ben dryly.

Andrew chuckled and squeezed his hand. "Harry Potter, really? That's for kids", Ben teased.

"Yeah, but it's awesome. And Luna is hot, my house of Ravenclaw has the hottest, smartest girls", he joked.

"Of course, you think your house has the hottest girls", Ben laughed.

An hour and a half later as predicted, the plane landed at Helsinki-Vantaa airport and taxied over to the gate. They got their bags and walked off the plane and followed the signs for customs to show the completed forms to the officials. Ben frowned when he saw how dark it was outside and followed the signs for the Hilton at the airport. Just across the parking lot from the terminal was a modern glass and steel structure with the familiar blue and white Hilton sign on top as they smiled in relief. The lobby was bland as any modern chain hotel but their mood only improved when they found a room as the concierge handed them the keys. "The bar is open until 2 and breakfast starts at eight, we have a free shuttle to the train station", said the concierge.

"Thanks", said Andrew as they walked to the elevator.

"So it looks like we're taking a train to Kajaani and then an Uber or something to Kettalumi", Ben mused aloud.

"This is probably the craziest thing we've ever done, but we're doing a lot of weird shit", said Andrew as they got in the elevator.

The found their room on the sixth floor and had barely taken out their toiletries and plugged in their phones when Ben pinned Andrew to the wall, the feral gleam in his brown eyes turning them almost black. Andrew felt a jolt of desire as the shorter dark-haired man leaned over and kissed hm. Andrew returned the kiss and his fingers tangled through his boyfriend's black curls as they made out furiously. "That was for last night", Ben growled.

"I know", Andrew growled.

Both men quickly stripped down to their shorts and moved over to the bed as they resumed making out. Both men groaned and continued kissing and their hands roamed each other's bodies. Andrew groaned as Ben reached into his shorts and stroked him, his breath coming out in harsh gasps. He reached into Ben's shorts and returned the favor as the other man moaned softly. "Dammit, I'm close", Ben muttered.

Andrew continued stroking him and kissed Ben hard just as his boyfriend came, feeling the sticky substance on his fingers. Andrew was close himself and Ben gave him one final squeeze as he himself came. "Now we'll sleep good", Ben chuckled.

"Yeah. I hope this girl isn't going to be freaked out. I got feeling she's not a typical groupie type", said Andrew.

"Same here, I just got a feeling. We'll find out soon enough. Good night", said Ben as they shared a kiss and turned off the light.


	3. Chapter 3

A thin sliver of sunlight came through the curtains as Andrew rolled over and opened his eyes. He saw that Ben was already up and wore a white towel around his waist, his black curls still damp from the shower as he looked through his phone. "There's a train from Helsinki to Kajaani at noon, that's the nearest big town And I already booked it along with the hotel there. Should I email this Valeria chick?", he asked.

"Hmm, let's make it a surprise", said Andrew.

"All right. I suppose we ought to hang out at the town ice rink, it looks as though every town in Finland has one", he said.

"And why didn't you wait for me, dude?", teased Andrew.

'You slept like a log, bro. Hurry up so we can get breakfast", Ben laughed.

Andrew flipped him off and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower and brushed his teeth. Ben had already gotten dressed in the same t-shirt and jeans from yesterday but topped by a gray hoodie; with this outfit and his glasses he looked like an ordinary college hipster. Andrew also wore the same clothes from yesterday and his hoodie was black, his straight brown hair all messy. "Lucky Finns are a casual people", said Ben.

They went downstairs and joined the rest of the hotel guests for breakfast. Afterwards they got on the free shuttle for the Helsinki train station. The suburbs seemed pleasant enough but weren't really interesting as they reminded them of the dull suburbs surrounding Philadelphia where they had gone to college as the bus sped south down the highway towards the city. The northern reaches of the city seemed surrounded by forests and as they got closer they could see the spires of the main Lutheran cathedral and the Art Noveau buildings of downtown, beyond that were the shimmering waters of the Baltic.

The train station was a massive brick building with huge Noveau reliefs of giants holding up green glass balls. Inside it was sleek and modern with trains loading and unloading passengers while the PA squawked in Finnish, Swedish and Russian. They stopped at each platform to look at the signs until they came to last one which had their train and waited in line with the other passengers who barely noticed them. Soon the line inched forward as everyone showed the conductor a ticket to board the train. Andrew checked the train map on his phone and tried to read the odd names of the towns on the route. The train's bell rang as the last few passengers scrambled aboard before the train pulled out of the station.

Barely fifteen minutes later the train headed north in the same direction they had come from the hotel earlier. The string of suburbs and small towns outside Helsinki quickly gave way to thick forests where the birch and oak trees whose leaves were turning red, gold and orange from green, the trunks of the former glowing silver and making them look like something out of a fairy tale. Here and there in between the trees were lakes whose water gleamed like polished sapphires where little boats bobbed on the surface, tiny people placidly fishing.

Once past Tampere in Central Finland, the landscape seemed to turn into one big forest interspersed with lakes. As the train made its way further and further north, the birches and other deciduous trees turned to pines. These pines were far bigger than any Christmas tree they had ever seen, dwarfing even the Rockefeller Christmas tree. The pines towered over the train and with their dark green needles and dense branches appeared to blot out the sun, an occasional shadow falling on the train. Patches of brilliantly blue sky could be seen occasionally as the train went north, the blue brighter than any they'd ever seen since it was cloudless. "This would be a good place to hide out and write songs", Andrew mused aloud.

"It is", agreed Ben. 

"I can imagine being holed up here with our stuff and writing songs, there's no distractions", said Andrew.

"Maybe", said Ben as he pointed at a brown bear impassively watching the train pass by.

"Damn, maybe we ought to get a shotgun", Andrew quipped.

The county seat of Kajaani felt like the backwater provincial place it was, the train pulling to a stop at the small two-story white station which resembled a barn or a very plain Lutheran church. The town was set along the shores of a river, the ruins of a castle dominating the modest skyline. It was already quite dark outside which made the full moon and stars really stand out and painted the yellow Town Hall a golden color. The white Lutheran church gleamed like polished alabaster under the setting sun and the little waves lapping at the shore made a pleasant murmuring sound. 

Their hotel was right in the centre of town but it looked to be a bland chain hotel which reminded them of a Holiday Inn, but they were grateful for the room. "I suppose this sort of town wouldn't have a boutique place, I got a good but strange feeling", said Andrew.

"Strange good or bad?", asked Ben as he sat down beside his lover on the bed.

"Strange good and bad, like both are going to happen. Maybe I'm still feeling the ecstasy", he chuckled.

"That was last week", Ben pointed out.

"That was the good stuff, dude. Maybe we can find some here", said Andrew.

"No thanks, I'd rather not go to jail in a foreign country", Ben retorted.

"Where would I be without your sense, bro?", teased Andrew.

"Frying your brain on ecstasy and acid", he deadpanned.

"Or the Psych Ward", he laughed.

Ben checked his phone to see what restaurants were open. "I'm not sure about Finnish food, looks weird. There's a Chinese place down the street and it's BYOB", he said.

"Sure", said Andrew with a shrug.

After unpacking a few things and putting their hoodies back on, the two men walked outside as Ben typed the GPS directions into his phone. The center of town was quiet except for the bars where loud rock music blared from the open doorways and the smell of cigarette smoke filled the air, the few other people around already drunk. Next to the Chinese place was an ALKO store with a display of Finlandia bottles shaped like a pyramid in the window as they went inside. The fluorescent light stung their eyes momentarily as they stumbled trying to adjust, finally coming to their bearings. In the back refrigerator they found cans of beer as they each selected two and walked over to the vodka aisle. "What the hell is this?", asked Andrew as he looked dubiously at the salmiakki. 

Ben looked it up on his phone. "It's Koskenkorva vodka with licorice, it's apparently popular here. It can't hurt to try", he said.

The fat middle-aged man behind the counter rang up their purchases without a word, not even blinking when Ben paid him with an American credit card. The restaurant was simple with small Formica-topped tables and creaky wooden chairs, paper and cardboard cutouts of dragons and tigers adorning the cream walls. People ordered at the front counter and a number flashed on the screen when it was ready as they waited in line. After placing their orders, paying and getting a ticket, they found an empty table as a waiter got them two plastic tumblers, wooden chopsticks and plastic forks.

They opened the cans and poured the beer into the cups. "This is good, maybe they sell this on Amazon", said Andrew.

"Yeah, and I barely drink beer. I just hope everything is going to be more good strange than bad strange. But even if it's bad strange, we could write a song about it", said Ben.

"Or it could be in our next music video", said Andrew.

Ben chuckled and then their number flashed on the screen as a waiter came over with their food. After dinner and two beers each, both were pleasantly tipsy as they left the restaurant. "Whoa", Andrew said as he pointed at the sky.

Ben adjusted his glasses and his brown eyes went wide in delight. The night sky was alive as the moon and stars were joined by ribbons of green and white and blue lights in long vertical strips with jagged edges which seemed to resemble a long shower curtain. Andrew dug his phone out of his pocket and took a few pictures seconds apart at different angles. "Now we got to show this to everyone", he said.

"Maybe tomorrow, it'll look better since this Kettalumi place looks like a real middle-of-nowhere place", said Ben.

They went back to the hotel and upstairs to their room before opening the bottle of salmiakki. Both looked dubiously at the murky black liquid with tiny black specs floating in the bottle. "Bottoms up", said Andrew as he took a slug. The flavor was a combination of alcohol, salt, licorice and cough syrup as it burned going down and his face turned red. "What the fuck is this fucking shit!?", he bellowed.

Ben took the bottle from him and wiped the rim before taking a swig, shuddering as it went down. "I agree, this is some hardcore shit. Even my Russian ancestors wouldn't touch this shit", he muttered.

"Yeah, even Russians wouldn't drink this", said Andrew as he took another swig. The second one went down easier than the first and the taste was more agreeable, tasting more like licorice than cough syrup. 

Ben took another swallow and thought perhaps the drink wasn't as bad as he first thought. "Maybe we shouldn't drink so much of this stuff, I bet it's more than 80 proof", he said.

"It is, it's a 100 proof. All right, Dad, I'll be a good boy and not get wasted", he teased.

"Hey, I'm only two months older. But seriously, I hate hangovers", he said. Ben carefully closed the bottle and tightened the cap before placing it inside the bag.

Andrew had a pleasant heaviness in his limbs as he lay back on the bed, his blue eyes focused on a crack in the ceiling. "Ben, whatever happens, if it's good strange or bad strange, it's still going to be pretty fucking badass", he said.

"I know", he replied simply.


	4. Chapter 4

"The Uber driver is on their way", said Ben as he glanced down at his phone.

Andrew nodded and stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his hoodie, feeling the breeze from the river even inside the hotel. "It's always freezing here, it never got this cold in PA", he said.

"We're about 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle and near water, it's going to be cold. Imagine if we were up in Lapland, in that town where Santa supposedly lives", teased Ben.

Andrew smiled wanly and heard Ben's phone buzz. They went outside and a small battered black pickup truck waited outside. The driver was a young man with very long blond hair whose arms were covered in Runic tattoos and wearing a Children of Bodom t-shirt with jeans who barely looked at them. "Ben and Andrew?", he asked.

"Yeah", replied Ben.

The driver said nothing as he pulled away from the curb and turned up the speakers as Amorphis blared loud enough to shake the truck. Andrew and Ben said nothing but both men hoped the ride was short and wondered if they had hitched a ride with a serial killer. The area outside of town was thickly wooden with dense pine trees whose heavy branches appeared to blot out the sun, dark shadows in between the trees possibly home to very scary bears and wolves. The music seemed oddly suited to this forbidding forest since it was very dark and possibly dangerous and they did not know what was at their destination.

Both men were relieved when the driver stopped in front of the town's rink, a large white cylindrical structure that was easily the biggest building in town. Ben got their bag and they went inside the building as a security guard in an odd baggy uniform stopped them. "We're here to see Valeria Jarvinen, we want to surprises her", said Andrew.

"Ah, Miss Jarvinen is going to be here soon. She is working on a new routine, music I not like much", he said with a heavy Finnish accent.

The guard let them enter and escorted them to the area near the dressing room. "Wait here, then, you watch her skate", he said.

"All right, thanks", said Ben.

"She's definitely going to freak", Andrew chuckled.

"Maybe not, Finns are stoic people. But you never know", replied Ben.

About fifteen minutes later Valeria Jarvinen entered the area. Her coppery hair was pulled back in a bun which emphasized her striking face with its high cheekbones, full pink lips and creamy pale complexion. But her eyes drew them in; almond-shaped and tilted at the corners, they were a brilliant turquoise blue with green and gold highlights like an opal and fringed with thick black lashes. "I just wanted an email", she quipped, her American English with melodious traces of a Finnish accent.

"Ha, the personal touch is always the best, Miss Jarvinen. Of course you can use our song in your routine, that's one of the strangest requests we've gotten but it's cool", said Andrew.

"Then what are the strangest requests you've gotten?", she teased.

"Haha, porn, weird art films and stuff. We got standards", said Ben with a chuckle.

"I can see why, porn is rubbish. I'm going to change into my outfit", said Valeria as she went to the dressing room.

"She is badass, I think it's going to be good strange", said Andrew.

Valeria emerged from the dressing room in a pale blue sweater and matching shorts with black skating tights, holding up her white skates. They followed her to the ice as she sat down on a bench and laced up her skates and then made her way onto the ice. The PA started playing their remix of Siberian Breaks as she began her routine.

Andrew and Ben watched in rapt attention at her performance. No matter how many times they'd heard their song, it would always pale in comparison as they watched her execute flips and turns in perfect time to their beats. They were still in awe when the song finished and she skated over to them. "Wow", said Andrew.

Ben nodded in agreement as Andrew put an arm around him. "Still approve?", she asked with a smile.

"Yeah, you can use any of our songs anytime", said Andrew.

Valeria sat down and removed her skates, their eyes drawn to her long legs. When she got up, they realized she was quite petite and barely came up to their shoulders, more surprising since they were both about 5'8. "We're a tiny lot, aren't we?", she laughed.

"I suppose, figure skating isn't our thing", said Ben.

"Where are you staying?", she asked.

"At a hotel in Kajaani", Andrew replied.

"Stay at my house", she ordered.

"Huh?", asked Andrew.

"Stay at my place. Hotels are boring", she said matter of factly.

"All right, I'll call the hotel", said Ben as he took out his phone and called the hotel. "The hotel is sending our refund, it'll be there in a few days", he added.

The men watched as she went into the dressing room and emerged a few minutes later in jeans and a Pink Floyd t-shirt with the Dark Side of the Moon album cover. "Pink Floyd are awesome, which is your fave?", asked Andrew.

"Dark Side, of course. But their earlier work is brilliant, Syd was a genius. Too bad he fried his brains", said Valeria.

"What's the album they did with Syd?", asked Ben.

"Piper at the Gates of Dawn", she replied.

"Okay, and what movie did they do the soundtrack to?", asked Andrew.

"Zabriskie Point, also they did Live in Pompeii and The Wall of course", she deadpanned.

"Wow. And where is the pig from Animals?", asked Ben.

"I don't know, it was last seen flying across the English Channel in 1977", she replied.

"She knows her stuff", said Ben approvingly.

"Of course, Mom and Dad were hippies", she retorted.

Valeria slung the skates over her shoulder and led them out of the rink. The town was a typical northern Finnish country town often found up in Kainuu and Lapland, small wooden houses on a narrow main street leading off into even narrower side streets. The only businesses were a small grocery store, several ALKO shops, a bank and a few bars half-full of rough men. The modest brick town hall stood across the street from the school where kids were playing during recess, supervised by teachers.

Her house was at the very end of town, a modest two-story pale blue wooden house with lilac bushes surrounding the perimeter. The tiny pinkish-purple flowers gave off a delicate scent which hung in the air as she led them inside. "It's the family house, Jarvinens have lived in Kettalumi since the records started being kept", she said.

They noticed the odd table in the parlor which held all sorts of figurines which resembled ancient people surrounded by different colored candles. "My family are pagan, Jarvinens have always been pagan. Even when the Christians were converting people, we just pretended but we always followed the old ways", said Valeria. 

"Okay, I think I was baptized or something", said Andrew.

"And I'm Jewish, sort of. My mom is Christian and my dad is Jewish", said Ben.

"Us Finns aren't really a Christian people, we believe in trolls and all sorts of stuff. Do you want some coffee?", she asked as they nodded.

They watched as she took out a black coffee machine and measured coffee and water before turning it on. Valeria set out a cookie jar shaped like a frog on the table and sat down. "I could give you a tour of the house, but it's not fancy", she said.

"That's all right. I hope it's not going to be a bother", said Ben.

"I live on my own since my parents disappeared", she said quietly.

"We're sorry to hear that", said Andrew.

"Thing is, they were declared dead since they disappeared and no one saw them again. They disappeared while in Tajikistan, they were translators for a Finnish company there. It's near Afghanistan so it's not a very stable place", she said.

"Damn, no way I'd go near there", said Andrew in horror.

"Me neither, and I'm Jewish which makes it more dangerous", Ben agreed. 

The coffee finished brewing and Valeria prepared their cups. "If I'd known you were coming, I would have baked something", she said apologetically.

"That's okay, we weren't expecting to be invited. I think this is turning out to be good strange", said Andrew.

"What would be bad strange, then?", she teased.

"That you were a serial killer or that we came here for nothing", said Andrew.

"Or you buried a bunch of bodies in the yard", Ben quipped.

Valeria laughed as she handed them each a cup of coffee. "No, I'm afraid I'm rather boring. I skate and live alone, I read fantasy novels and listen to weird music", she said.

"That's cool, sometimes it's cool to be normal", said Ben.

"Yeah, since we're not normal at all", said Andrew.

Valeria sipped her coffee and watched the two men. She was still in a bit of shock when they had appeared at the rink and gave her permission, but now she was much more at ease. Both men were friendly and charming, not arrogant at all. She watched them interact and noticed they sat next to each other so their chairs were touching, holding hands under the table. The way they looked at each other and squeezed hands, how one would whisper something in the other's ear or brush the other's hair away made it clear they were in a relationship.

"You're lovers", she said matter of factly.

"Good deduction, Sherlock", teased Andrew.

"I had an idea, but that's all right. My grandparents lived together in a ménage a trois, my grandmother and her two husbands, Clay and Marco. Clay was my grandfather, an American from Texas", she said.

"Whoa, is that legal?", asked Andrew.

"Technically not, but Grandma considered them both her husbands. And it's a tradition that everyone who marries into the Jarvinen takes on their surname, which is my our name doesn't die out", she said.

"Wow, fascinating. So was your mom or dad's name Jarvinen?", asked Ben.

"Mom, Dad's last name was Koivu. Plus it's a common last name here", she replied.

"Ok, makes sense. Valeria, the reason why we flew out here wasn't just to tell you we don't mind you using our song. Ben and I have been a couple since college and we're both bi, we've had threesomes with girls but nothing serious. We are interested in you being our girlfriend", said Andrew.

Valeria said nothing as she drank her coffee. "Okay, and what makes you think I would be a good girlfriend?", she asked.

"You're gorgeous, smart, talented girl with awesome taste in music. And you're not freaking out", said Ben.

"Us Finns have ice water in our veins, one needs a lot to shock us. And my grandparents lived in a ménage a trois, my mother's side. So I am not freaking out by the idea", she said.

"So do you want to be our girlfriend?", asked Andrew.

Valeria gave them an enigmatic look and her blue eyes gleamed with amusement. "Show me proof", she challenged.


	5. Chapter 5

"What the hell does that mean?", asked Andrew as he flopped down on the bed in their room.

"Haven't you read any fairytales or mythology? The heroes always have a challenge before they get the princess or complete the quest", said Ben.

"Maybe, I didn't pay attention in that stupid folklore class. So Valeria is testing us, but what is the test?", Andrew asked.

"I have no idea myself, maybe she wants us to do something for her. Chop wood or something", said Ben with a shrug.

"Hah, hippie shit. I suppose it's more fun if you have to work for it", said Andrew thoughtfully.

"Yeah, like if you enter the castle and the princess is in Victoria's Secret lingerie", agreed Ben.

"Yeah, that would be kind of lame", said Andrew.

Ben got up and looked out the window which over looked the backyard. The yard had another lilac tree but also a rowan whose branches were laden ripening reddish-orange berries. "I think that's a rowan, mountain ash. Supposedly the Druids believed it was a threshold for entering and leaving places, the Underworld", he mused aloud.

"So her family are into Druid s hit. Or at least like weird trees", said Andrew dismissively.

"You're right, Andrew. Us Jarvinens are pagans and that's exactly why our ancestors planted the rowan", said Valeria.

"Which makes sense, if one could actually travel using trees. But what did you mean by proof? Unless you're Circe and going to turn us into pigs", said Ben dryly.

"No, wrong mythology. And I don't think turning a Jewish guy into a pig is a good idea. But seriously, I'm lonely and you guys make awesome music", she laughed. 

Just then, a bluish-green light in an oval shape appeared in the room. The light from the oval grew dimmer and a man appeared, notable only for how ordinary he looked. He was of average height and skinny with lank black hair falling to his shoulders, wearing jeans and a Rush t-shirt with the Caress of Steel album cover. His most distinguishing feature were his eyes, a very unusual gray the colour of silver that reminded them of those fake contact lenses sold at Hot Topic. "Are your eyes real?", Andrew blurted out.

"Of course, Andrew", said Hugo, speaking in a deep, commanding voice with a proper British accent.

"Okay, this is getting weird", Ben muttered.

"I know, I didn't expect to see you here either. And your new album have better be awesome", said Hugo.

"It will, dude", said Andrew.

"Valeria, it involves your parents", said Hugo.

Valeria stood bolt upright. "What about them?", she demanded.

"They disappeared in Tajikistan, but they are not there. Go to Lithuania, the Curonian split. They are held in the castle of Juoda Cloles in East Prussia by the Sol Hafn. You will have to go to Antero's house, him and Lina know how to enter the dune. The king of Samogitia will help you, since the Sol Hafn have kidnapped the Princess Ulrika", said Hugo.

"Wait a minute. She's going to Lithuania, meets her cousin, enter a dune and end up in some Medieval place to rescue a princess? What the fuck?", muttered Andrew.

"Yes, in a nutshell", replied Hugo.

"And what do we have to do with this?", asked Ben.

"If you don't go, you will be back in Brooklyn without any memory of this", replied Hugo.

"Okay, but what if people start asking for us", asked Ben.

"Once you go inside the dune, time will stop for you. When you go back, it will be as if you never left", said Hugo.

"Wow", Andrew murmured.

"Okay, but what about languages? All we know is English", said Ben.

"I know several languages, including Russian which is the lingua franca of the Baltic States. Plus when we enter the dune, you will be able to speak the languages", said Valeria.

"Whoa, amazing!", Andrew exclaimed.

"It is, but we would only do this stuff if the language is extinct. East Prussian is an extinct language", said Hugo.

Andrew and Ben looked at each other. "I still don't know if this is strange good or strange bad, but we'll do it", said Andrew.

"Excellent. You will leave tomorrow", said Hugo.

"How do we get there?", asked Ben.

"Driving, I got a car", replied Valeria.

Ben and Andrew gave her a look. "We use ordinary transportation much of the time, otherwise it'll look suspicious", she clarified.

"That makes sense", agreed Ben.

"Good, now I must leave. Good luck", said Hugo as he slowly disappeared back into the blue oval.

"I'm still in shock, I know we didn't take anything since last Saturday", said Andrew.

"It is shocking, but it takes a while to digest. I'm afraid I didn't go grocery shopping yet, and I didn't know about either you guys or Hugo. There's a pub down the street", said Valeria.

The sun had already begun to set and its weak rays barely added to the illumination from the street lights. The town was marginally less quiet than earlier with people going home from work or heading to one of the bars. Valeria led them inside one that looked nicer than the others and had more families. It was cozy and homey with wooden walls covered in framed prints of forests, beer signs and vintage movie and 70's band posters, Christmas lights strewn around the bar. At the bar were mostly men and a couple of women nursing beers and watching a soccer game on TV while other in the back room played darts and pool as speakers played 70's rock.

The trio sat at a booth and soon a middle-aged waitress handed them laminated menus in Finnish. "Three shots of Finlandia and three Karhus", she said.

"I had no idea what this is", said Andrew as he looked at the menu. 

"Don't worry, the food isn't that strange. Today's special is the pea soup and rye bread, then pancakes with jam. It's the traditional Thursday night dinner in Finland", she explained.

"All right", agreed Ben as Andrew nodded.

The waitress came by with their drinks and took their order. "So we leave tomorrow morning?", asked Ben.

"Yes", she replied.

Both men took the hint. "So which Floyd album is better, Dark Side or Wish You Were Here?", asked Andrew.

"Dark Side is brilliant of course and has the most iconic cover, but I prefer the latter. All of Crazy Diamond is awesome and the title track is gorgeous, if I was inclined to smoke weed, I would like to hear Atom Heart Mother or Ummagumma stoned. But we have to do drug tests", she said.

"That sucks, when you retire then", said Andrew as they clinked glasses and knocked back the vodka.

After dinner, they paid the bill and left as Ben and Andrew kept staring up at the sky in awe. The aurora and foxfire was far more intense here than in Kajaani since there were far fewer lights here, the sky alive with vivid flares of blue, purple and green which seemed to move and pulse like massive neon lights. "It's even more impressive up in Lapland. Maybe after we finish packing we can lay on the roof and look", she said.

Valeria led them to her room and pointed to a cord hanging from the ceiling. Andrew pulled it and a set of wooden stairs emerged as they climbed the stairs and wound up on the roof. Up here, they had the best view of the aurora so far as the lights ebbed and glowed like pulsating waves or enormous glow sticks. The moon was the palest sliver of a new moon and the stars were scattered across the neon sky, brilliant and sharp as though someone had upended an enormous sugar bowl. The tops of pine trees were silhouetted against the sky and their sharp scent of pine needles filled the crisp night air.

"This is best view ever, Val", said Ben.

"I know, I miss it every time I travel. I wish I could transport this sky when I travel, and during the Midnight Sun it feels marvelous to just lay out under the glowing sky. New York may have skyscrapers, but not this view", she teased.


	6. Chapter 6

The phone started ringing and Andrew muttered something before hitting the Snooze button. He was in bed with Ben and Valeria with her nestled in between them like a doll, looking so tiny and dainty compared to them. Ben's curls were widely strewn about his face and his bare feet stuck out from under the sheets, one of his hairy arms resting on hers. Andrew fought the urge to run his fingers through his boyfriend's curls and kiss him as he waited for the alarm to ring again.

It rang again and Ben rolled over as he reached for his glasses, jamming them onto his face. "Good morning", he muttered.

Valeria woke up. "Guys, let's get ready. I'm afraid there's no food in the house, but there's a rest stop on the motorway which has all day breakfasts", she said.

"You're a bossy little thing", teased Andrew.

"It's a compensation for being short, since my training doesn't start until October. I told my coach and my manager I'd be on holiday so they won't contact me", she said.

"Good. And we told our manager not to bother us, so we're good", said Ben.

Barely half an hour later, Valeria's blue Volvo was loaded up, the doors of the house were locked after she did one final check. She turned on the engine and hooked up her phone to the speakers as it played the intro to 2112. "Sweet", said Andrew approvingly.

Just outside of town on the motorway was a large rest stop where they went to get breakfast. Unlike an American truck stop, it was modern-looing and immaculate with a low white building which housed a small food court, a gift shop and a tiny coffee booth. It was nearly empty except for a few older people and truckers having coffee and buns and some kids with their mother. Ben and Andrew were pleasantly surprised no one paid them any attention as they ordered breakfast. "Finns mind their own business, if you were the guys in Children of Bodom then they might pay attention", she said.

"Are you on a diet?", asked Ben when he saw she had scrambled eggs, sausage and fruit with black coffee.

"I don't eat much carbs, I don't eat wheat. Only rye, and no white sugar. It's easy to do in Finland, but harder in the Baltic Stats since they're big carb people. Luckily Lina understands, she's Antero's wife", said Valeria, showing them a picture on her phone. A very dignified man with short blond hair and a black suit sat with his arm around a slim blond woman whose braids fell to her waist. On her lap sat a chubby blond boy who grinned at the camera, wearing shorts and a purple Apocalyptica shirt. "Cute little dude", said Andrew.

"That's my godson Gediminas. Antero plays cello in the Klaipeda orchestra, but he's always worn black suits. Wait until you see the Split, its amazing", she said.

They finished breakfast and went back to the car. Soon they were headed south on the motorway with Rush playing on the speakers. The dreamy prog rock seemed appropriate as they drove through dense pine forests that flanked the roads so thick sunlight couldn't penetrate their branches. Very few other vehicle were on the road except for the occasional truck as they steadily made their way southwards, pines giving way to birch and lakes visible between the trees. It seemed as though the area was dotted with lakes like so many large puddles after a storm. The lakes glowed crystal blue in the sunlight; framed by the green trees and grass, they resembled sapphires rimmed by emeralds.

"If we had time, we could linger in this area. This is the most beautiful part of Finland, but Kainuu is the second best and no tourists", she laughed.

They arrived in Helsinki that afternoon as the sun already began to set. They sky was tinged with vivid orange and pink hues and the orange sun reflected on the glass and steel facades of the buildings. "Hugo chose a good place", said Valeria as they parked in the lot of the Scandi-Grand Marina hotel.

Both men nodded in agreement. The hotel still had its original brick décor and was right near the water, the bustling harbor filled with boats ranging from sailboats and rowboats to passenger ferries and cruises as the big boats dwarfed the little ones. The salty tang of salt water hung in the air as seagulls perched on posts momentarily before flying away, flapping their wings and cawing loudly. "Let's check in first", she said.

The hotel was done in a very chic modern style, all black, white and complementary pastels with lots of glass and pale wood. The clerk at the front desk handed them their keys and they took the elevator up to the top floor, opening the door to their room as the men went straight to the window. From the window they could see much of the harbor and the city as the sun set over the Baltic, reflected in the water. "If we had time, we could take a ferry to one of the islands, but they don't run at night. I wish I could take you to Lost and Found, it's a hetero-friendly gay club. Figure skating has lots of gay guys", said Valeria.

"Nah, most gay clubs play that cheesy techno shit", said Ben.

"No, they have good stuff. A lot of underground techno and house, but maybe on the way back", said Valeria.

Andrew laughed and tried to put an arm about her waist, but she slipped away with a grin. "Naughty lad", she teased.

"So this is like you're the princess and I have to slay the dragon first. Okay, I do like a challenge", he chuckled.

Ben tried not to laugh as he took off his glasses to wipe them. "All right guys, let's get some dinner and maybe look around", he said.

Valeria checked her phone and scanned the restaurant listings. "I'm not too sure if you'd like Finnish food, I'm not fond of it either. Are you New York hipster types who like really odd ethnic stuff?", she teased.

"Ha, sort of. Both of us grew up in the sticks and we made up for lost time in college, so since you're the Finn, you be our guide", teased Andrew.

"And the rest of the trip? A lot of the competitions are the in the Baltics", she replied.

"Sure, we've never been there and have no idea what's there, I don't think Americans go there much", said Ben.

"No, but a lot of drunk Brits go there during the summer. They get drunk and visit strip clubs or go on stag and hen nights. Luckily they don't come in September", said Valeria dryly.

"Sounds like Cancun", said Ben as Andrew chuckled.

Andrew typed in the address of the p lace she mentioned on the Uber app as they waited outside. The sun was about three-quarters set as most of the sky was bluish-purple and the sun a lazy, semicircle reddish-orange in color, a half-orange sitting on the still water. Ben and Andrew took photos while waiting for the Uber as Valeria watched their silhouettes in the fading light and compared them. Andrew was tall and lean with longish brown hair sticking out from under his black knit hat, while Ben was slightly shorter with curly black hair ruffled by the breeze, his stocky build and glasses giving him a look both intellectual and tough.

A black Volvo arrived and his phone beeped. "Orchid Thai?", asked the driver, a young man with shoulder-length brown hair and an Amorphis t-shirt which showed off his tattoos.

"Kylla", she replied. 

Ben and Andrew wondered if all Uber drivers in Finland were as scary looking as they got in the backset. Thankfully from their perspective the driver said nothing to them as he drove away from the hotel. Downtown Helsinki was buzzing as people got off work and headed to the numerous bars and restaurants before heading home, many of the bars and cafes still with tables outside on terraces. The fading light seemed to make the handsome Art Noveau and modern glass and steel buildings glow brilliantly in the case of the former and reflect the sun in the latter, both old-fashioned and futuristic at the same time.

The car stopped outside a small restaurant near the Parliament building and Finlandia Hall, the tan brick façade of the former juxtaposed with the futuristic white shiny bulk of the latter. Ben and Andrew were relieved to see it was a Thai restaurant and glad it wasn't going to be someplace where they served reindeer. The waiter perked up when he recognized her and led them to a booth in the corner and handed them menus. "How's it going, Mikko?, she asked.

"Much better. I love this place, I go to class in the morning and work in the evening. Lauri and I have the same schedule so it works out", he replied.

"How's the wedding planning coming along?", she asked.

"The venue is ready for December, I'm sending out the invitations soon so just check the post. What can I get you to drink?", he asked.

"Uh, that Lapin Kulta stuff is pretty good", said Ben.

"Same here", replied Andrew.

"The usual, a shot of Finlandia on the side", she said.

"Mikko and I have the same coach, he retired after he injured his knee. I actually introduced him to his boyfriend Lauri and they got engaged last month", she explained.

"Awesome. We're glad you're Finnish, people don't freak out over that stuff", said Andrew.

"Of course not, but I would be more cautious in the Baltics. Estonians are very tolerant but the Russians aren't, Russians have a phobia against gay people and there's a lot of them in Latvia. There's not many in Lithuania but the people are very Catholic but easygoing. I just wouldn't show much PDA until we're with Antero and Lina", she said.

"Are the border people going to be suspicious?", asked Ben.

"Not really since you're white American guys. But I would recommend you comb your hair and dress neatly so you don't attract attention, speak softly in English and be very polite. It's the Brits and Russians they don't like", she replied.

"Okay. So because we're white Americans, we won't attract suspicion?", asked Andrew in surprise.

"Unfortunately. There's still a bit of a Soviet mentality which doesn't like foreigners, especially dark-skinned guys. They honestly believe such guys are going to steal their women", said Valeria with a frown.

"Asswipes", muttered Andrew.

Mikko arrived with their drinks and took their orders. "So we'll have to circumspect and inconspicuous as possible. At least we're making only one stop in Riga, I do feel uncomfortable to stop in a small town someplace I don't know", said Ben.

"How come?", she asked.

"Uh, my Dad is Jewish and I was born in a small town in Indiana and then moved to the Poconos as a kid, a village called Mount Green. Dad was the only Jewish guy in town and the locals were mostly British and German American country people. They liked Dad cuz he was the town veterinarian who treated their farm animals, but they didn't like other Jews as much. They kept complaining about the Jews in New York and Philadelphia. So yeah, I'm kind of concerned since I have a very Jewish name and I kinda look Jewish", said Ben.

"Oh dear. We ought to lay low in Riga then, the Latvians and Lithuanians don't like Jews much. They believe the Soviet Union was run by Jews and they were ready to help the Nazis, both had large Waffen regiments and they're seen as heroes. Or we could just go to places with Russians since many of them are Jews, but very secular", said Valeria.

"Sorry if I freaked you out, Val", said Ben apologetically.

"I understand, we try not to attract the attention of officialdom. Why do you think I drive a Volvo and live in the country?", she teased.

Both men laughed and nodded in agreement. "Same reason we live in Rockaway Beach, it's in the city but far from Manhattan and western Brooklyn so people don't bother us and there's few distractions", said Andrew.

"Yeah, since we both grew up in a small town we don't like big cities either. After Riga, there's no cities?", asked Andrew.

"Not really, we'll pass through some big towns. Riga is less than a million people, that passes for a metropolis here", she laughed.

Mikko arrived with their food as they began to eat. "Not carbs again, huh?", teased Andrew when he saw her plate had a double helping of vegetables and no rice.

'Yeah, they don't have brown rice. I don't eat white rice, I've become an amateur nutritionist", she replied.

They finished dinner and split the bill three ways as Ben checked his phone. "Damn, it's only six-thirty", he exclaimed.

"There's a little Northern Soul place down the street, one of the Torres' owns it. His dad Juan owns a chain of such clubs, the various Wagon Wheels. There's one in Manchester, one in Blackpool during the summer and one in Torremolinos in Spain. It's 60's R&B, plus I didn't get to do my exercises this morning", said Valeria.

"Good idea, at least it's not Kylie or cheesy 90's techno. Unfortunately, that's what gay clubs play", said Ben.

"Oh dear, Finnish gays don't' listen to that", said Valeria.

The Wagon Wheel of Helsinki was just down the street, a nondescript brick building except for the wooden wagon wheel painted vivid red and gold, the colors of Manchester United. Inside past the coat check a red and gold beaded curtain led into a large room with a tiny stage on one side where a DJ spun vintage 60's and 70's soul music while dancers in comfortable jeans and t-shirts did fancy moves which combined kung-Fu with a primitive sort of breakdancing. On the walls hung vintage posters and framed prints of vinyl albums while traces of talcum powder could be seen on the floor.

"Don't be shy, Northern Soul is freeform and not couples-oriented so just join in", said Valeria.

Both men saw that was exactly the case with the dancers as Valeria led them out on the dance floor. The DJ continued spinning records that seemed to have the same range of BPM as they started to feel the rhythm and to dance. Andrew was the first to loosen up as he just danced in accordance to how he felt the rhythm but at first Ben was content to do a little shuffle as he wasn't much of a dancer. Valeria did a bit of limbering up but soon she was doing a more energetic dancing, moving gracefully on instinct. Ben saw how confident both looked while dancing and he gradually started doing more than shuffling, adding more vigorous moves as both gave him encouraging smiles.

Valeria felt the endorphins release as she danced, moving on instinct to the beat. She saw that Andrew was just as enthusiastic and Ben was showing more enthusiasm. The floor was still a bit slippery with talcum powder as she executed a graceful pirouette and then continued dancing. Both men looked impressed and she just laughed, her red hair starting to come loose from its bun. The tree of them unconsciously got in a line with Valeria in the middle and started to synchronize their movements, dancing together like a machine. Her blue eyes sparkled and her cheeks were flushed as they all danced together, lost in their dancing and conscious only of each other. 

All of them were pleasantly exhausted as they left the club, cheeks flushed and limbs tingling as the last of the endorphins ran through their veins. Andrew clicked on the Uber app and ordered a ride as Ben and Valeria still grinned like fools. "You guys, that was awesome. I haven't danced like that since I was a kid", said Ben with the grin still on his face. 

"This is the best workout, it beats Pilates. And we'll be sleeping good tonight", said Valeria.

"Are you trying to tease us, Val?", joked Andrew.

"No, us Finns don't tease. When I want something, I'll tell you", said Valeria as their ride showed up.


End file.
